Udinese boss hails returning Super Eagles star Okoye after clean sheet

Maduka Okoye received a glowing endorsement from Kosta Runjaić after making a successful return from injury in Udinese Calcio’s 1-0 Coppa Italia victory over Padova on Saturday night.

The Super Eagles goalkeeper marked his comeback with a clean sheet, giving his manager another reason to be encouraged ahead of the new Serie A campaign.

Okoye had been sidelined with an injury in recent weeks but was restored to the Udinese starting XI for their Coppa Italia clash at the Bluenergy Stadium.

The 26-year-old responded with a composed performance between the posts, helping the White and Blacks secure a narrow victory and book their place in the next round.

Runjaić was pleased with what he saw from his returning goalkeeper but insisted that Udinese must quickly turn their attention to their next challenge.

“Okoye was playing his first game back from injury and kept a clean sheet. The overall record is good, but we don't want to get too excited; we need to stay focused ahead of the Como match,” Runjaić said, according to Udinese official website.

Okoye will be hoping his return marks the beginning of another strong campaign after an impressive 2025/26 season with Udinese.

The Nigerian missed the first six league matches while serving a suspension related to a sports betting case, but bounced back to establish himself as an important figure in the team.

He went on to make 30 Serie A appearances, keeping 10 clean sheets and conceding 32 goals as Udinese finished 10th in the league.

With his fitness concerns seemingly behind him, Okoye will now be determined to build on his encouraging Coppa Italia return and maintain his place as Udinese's first-choice goalkeeper throughout the 2026/27 campaign.